The Oz Series

Chapter 36

Part of the The Marvelous Land of Oz: Tip's Rebellion and the Return of Ozma arc.

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What happens

General Jinjur, commander of the Army of Revolt, is made uneasy by the Scarecrow's escape, fearing that if he and the Tin Woodman join forces it will endanger her army, since the people of Oz have not forgotten these famous heroes. She sends post-haste for old Mombi the witch, promising large rewards for her aid. Mombi, furious at Tip's trick, his escape, and his theft of the Powder of Life, needs no urging to help defeat the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, who have befriended Tip. Arriving at the royal palace, Mombi uses secret magic to discover the adventurers are journeying to the Emerald City, then locks herself in a high tower room to practice arts preventing their return.

The Tin Woodman stops, alarmed that despite knowing the journey by heart he seems to have lost the way, confronting a great field of whirling gigantic sunflowers in vivid red and gold that dazzle and mystify the travelers. Tip cries it is witchcraft. When the Tin Woodman advances with swinging axe to cut the stalks, the sunflowers stop whirling and reveal a girl's face in each flower, laughing mockingly, before whirling again and fading. Tip stops the Woodman, recognizing they are alive girls resembling the Army of Revolt. The Scarecrow deduces someone is playing a trick and suspects it is only an illusion by old Mombi with no real sunflowers present.

The Woodman suggests walking forward with eyes shut, but the Scarecrow cannot shut his painted eyes and the Saw-Horse has knot eyes. Tip commands Jack to ride boldly forward while Tip follows holding the horse's stub tail with closed eyes, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman bringing up the rear. Jack's joyful shout announces the way is clear, and looking back they find no trace of the sunflower field. To avoid being lost among Mombi's altered landscape, the Scarecrow wisely takes direction from the sun, which no witchcraft can change. The Saw-Horse then steps into a rabbit hole and falls, pitching Jack high into the air; the Tin Woodman skillfully catches the descending pumpkin and saves it. Tip refits the head, but the Saw-Horse's leg is found broken short off and must be repaired before it can move.

With no trees, shrubs, fences, or houses for miles to make a new leg, the group sits in a row to think, the Scarecrow trusting he can solve anything given time. As they think, the Tin Woodman spots an extraordinary approaching creature that advances noiselessly and regards them with equal astonishment. The Scarecrow greets it, and the stranger removes his hat, bows low, and presents a card reading "MR. H. M. WOGGLE-BUG, T. E." He confirms he is a Woggle-Bug, explaining "H. M." means Highly Magnified, since he is thousands of times greater than any ordinary Woggle-Bug, and "T. E." means Thoroughly Educated.

Tip observes the Woggle-Bug's great round buglike body on two slender legs with upward-curling toes, its flat back glistening dark brown and its striped front, its slender arms, its long neck bearing a nearly human head whose nose ends in a curling antenna and whose ears bear antennae like curling pigtails, and its bulging black eyes. The insect wears a dark-blue swallowtail coat with yellow silk lining and a buttonhole flower, a white duck vest, fawn plush knickerbockers with gilt buckles, and a tall silk hat, standing as tall as the Tin Woodman. The Scarecrow apologizes for surprise, but the Woggle-Bug takes pleasure in surprising people as one entitled to curiosity and admiration, and offers to relate his history so they may comprehend his remarkable appearance; he sits on the grass to tell his story.

Who is in play

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